Rubber Tree Drooping Leaves — Root Bound Was the Real Problem

My rubber tree (Ficus elastica) dropped 4 lower leaves in 2 weeks. The remaining leaves were drooping. I checked moisture, light, humidity — all fine.

Pulled it out of the pot. Root bound. Roots circling the bottom 3 inches thick. Moved from a 10" to a 14" pot with fresh soil. Watered deeply once.

3 weeks later: 2 new leaves unfurling, zero droop. The root bound was stressing the plant so much it was shedding lower leaves to survive.

Lesson: If your rubber tree is dropping lower leaves and everything else is fine, check the roots. A pot that's 2 sizes bigger can make all the difference.